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Abstract:

An environmental hazard warning system is provided. The environmental
hazard warning system includes a data unit, a comparison unit, and an
alarm unit. The data unit is capable of storing a plurality protective
suit tolerance data. The comparison unit receives a portable sensor
parameter signal including a portable sensor parameter from a portable
sensor, and compares the portable sensor parameter with the protective
suit tolerance data corresponding to the portable sensor parameter. The
alarm unit transmits an alarm signal corresponding to the comparison
between the portable sensor parameter and the protective suit tolerance
data. The disclosure further provides an environmental hazard warning
method.

Claims:

1. An environmental hazard warning system, comprising: a data unit
capable of storing at least one protective suit tolerance data; a
comparison unit, wherein the comparison unit receives a portable sensor
parameter signal including at least a portable sensor parameter from a
portable sensor, and compares the portable sensor parameter in the
portable sensor parameter signal with the protective suit tolerance data
corresponding to the portable sensor parameter; and an alarm unit
transmitting an alarm signal corresponding to the comparison between the
portable sensor parameter and the protective suit tolerance data.

2. The environmental hazard warning system of claim 1, wherein the data
unit transforms a protective suit parameter in a protective suit
parameter signal received from a short distance wireless device by a
short distance wireless identifier to the protective suit tolerance data.

3. The environmental hazard warning system of claim 2, wherein the short
distance wireless identifier includes a RFID (radio-frequency
identification) reader, the short distance wireless device includes a
RFID tag.

4. The environmental hazard warning system of claim 1, wherein the
protective suit tolerance data is input through an input device.

5. The environmental hazard warning system of claim 1, wherein the data
unit is further capable of storing at least one body tolerance data input
through an input device, the comparison unit compares the portable sensor
parameter in the portable sensor parameter signal with the body tolerance
data corresponding to the portable sensor parameter, the alarm unit
transmits the alarm signal corresponding to the comparison between the
portable sensor parameter and the body tolerance data.

6. The environmental hazard warning system of claim 1, wherein the data
unit, the comparison unit, and the alarm unit is installed in a portable
device.

7. The environmental hazard warning system of claim 6, wherein the
portable sensor communicates with the portable device through a short
distance wireless network.

8. The environmental hazard warning system of claim 6, wherein the
portable device includes an augmented reality glasses, the augmented
reality glasses displays an augmented reality image according to the
alarm signal.

9. The environmental hazard warning system of claim 1, wherein the
comparison unit further receives a stationary sensor parameter signal
including a stationary sensor parameter from a stationary sensor, and
compares the portable sensor parameter in the portable sensor parameter
signal with the protective suit tolerance data corresponding to the
portable sensor parameter as well as the stationary sensor parameter in
the stationary sensor parameter signal with the protective suit tolerance
data corresponding to the stationary sensor parameter, the alarm unit
transmits the alarm signal according to the comparison between the
portable sensor parameter and the protective suit tolerance data
corresponding to the portable sensor parameter as well as the comparison
between the stationary sensor parameter and the protective suit tolerance
data corresponding to the stationary sensor parameter.

10. The environmental hazard warning system of claim 1, wherein the
protective suit tolerance data includes an environmental parameter.

11. An environmental hazard warning method, comprising: receiving a
portable sensor parameter signal including at least a portable sensor
parameter from a portable sensor; comparing the portable sensor parameter
in the portable sensor parameter signal and one protective suit tolerance
data corresponding to the portable sensor parameter; and transmitting an
alarm signal corresponding to the comparison between the portable sensor
parameter and the protective suit tolerance data.

12. The environmental hazard warning method of claim 11, further
comprising: using a short distance wireless identifier to receive a
protective suit parameter signal including at least one protective suit
parameter from a short distance wireless device; and transforming the
protective suit parameter in the protective suit parameter signal to the
protective suit tolerance data.

13. The environmental hazard warning method of claim 12, wherein the
short distance wireless identifier includes a RFID (radio-frequency
identification) reader, the short distance wireless device includes a
RFID tag.

14. The environmental hazard warning method of claim 11, further
comprising using an input device to input the protective suit tolerance
data.

15. The environmental hazard warning method of claim 11, further
comprising: comparing the portable sensor parameter in the portable
sensor parameter signal and one body tolerance data input through an
input device corresponding to the portable sensor parameter; and
transmitting the alarm signal corresponding to the comparison between the
portable sensor parameter and the body tolerance data.

16. The environmental hazard warning method of claim 11, wherein the
steps are implemented through a portable device.

17. The environmental hazard warning method of claim 16, wherein the
portable sensor communicates with the portable device through a short
distance wireless network.

18. The environmental hazard warning method of claim 16, further
comprising displaying an augmented reality image through an augmented
reality glasses of the portable device according to the alarm signal.

19. The environmental hazard warning method of claim 11, further
comprising receiving a stationary sensor parameter signal including a
stationary sensor parameter from a stationary sensor and comparing the
stationary sensor parameter in the stationary sensor parameter signal
with the protective suit tolerance data corresponding to the stationary
sensor parameter, wherein the step of transmitting the alarm signal
includes transmitting the alarm signal according to the comparison
between the portable sensor parameter and the protective suit tolerance
data corresponding to the portable sensor parameter as well as the
comparison between the stationary sensor parameter and the protective
suit tolerance data corresponding to the stationary sensor parameter.

Description:

BACKGROUND

[0001] 1. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an environmental hazard warning
system and an environmental hazard warning method, and particularly to an
environmental hazard warning system and an environmental hazard warning
method for an emergency personnel under the protection of a protective
suit.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] In the scene of a fire, in addition to flames and smoke, there
could have invisible threats such as high temperature, toxic gas,
hazardous acid and base, exposed electrical wiring, or radioactive
materials, for example. Even though under the protection of protective
suits, the safety of emergency personnel cannot be ensured under extreme
environmental conditions since the effect of protection is restricted by
physical limitations of the protective suits.

[0005] What is needed, therefore, is an environmental hazard warning
system capable of overcoming the limitation described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood
with reference to the following drawing(s). The components in the
drawing(s) are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being
placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present
disclosure. Moreover, in the drawing(s), like reference numerals
designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an environmental
hazard warning system of the present disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 2A/2B is a block diagram of another embodiment of an
environmental hazard warning system of the present disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a first embodiment of an environmental
hazard warning method of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of an environmental
hazard warning method of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a third embodiment of an environmental
hazard warning method of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a fourth embodiment of an environmental
hazard warning method of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an environmental
hazard warning system of the present disclosure. In the illustrated
embodiment, the environmental hazard warning system is applied to a
firefighter under the protection of a fire proximity suit. In other
embodiments, the environmental hazard warning system can be applied to
other types of emergency personnel under the protection of other types of
protective suits, for example, riot control officers under the protection
of protective equipment. As shown in FIG. 1, an environmental hazard
warning system includes a data unit 10, a comparison unit 20, and an
alarm unit 30. The environmental hazard warning system is installed in a
portable device 100 including an input device 110, an output device 120,
embedded sensors 130, and a short distance wireless identifier 140. The
portable device 100 can be a public safety radio, a smart phone, a tablet
computer, a notebook computer, or other types of portable electronic
devices.

[0014] The data unit 10 is capable of storing a plurality of protective
suit tolerance data 11. The protective suit tolerance data 11 can be, for
example, a safe limit for temperature, humidity, acidic materials, base
materials, electrical voltages and/or current, hazardous radioactive
materials, or other values of the environmental parameters of an
emergency scene. The value the protective suit tolerance data 11 can be
defined according to the parameter of a protective suit such as a fire
proximity suit. For instance, if the protective suit can be normally used
in temperatures between 0 degree centigrade and 50 degrees centigrade
according to the thermal tolerance of the protective suit, the range of
the protective suit tolerance data 11 can be accordingly defined between
0 degree centigrade and 50 degrees centigrade.

[0015] The comparison unit 20 receives a portable sensor parameter signal
Sp including a portable sensor parameter Pp from a portable sensor, that
is, one of embedded sensors 130 and body sensors 200. The portable sensor
parameter Pp can be, for example, temperature, humidity, acidic
materials, base materials, electrical voltages and/or current, hazardous
radioactive materials, or other environmental parameters of the emergency
scene. Correspondingly, each of the embedded sensors 130 and the body
sensors 200 can be a type of sensor, which is capable of detecting one of
the different portable sensor parameters Pp. In response to receiving the
portable sensor parameter signal Sp, the comparison unit 20 compares the
portable sensor parameter Pp in the portable sensor parameter signal Sp,
with the protective suit tolerance data 11 corresponding to the portable
sensor parameter Pp. For example, if the portable sensor parameter Pp is
a temperature, the comparison unit 20 compares the temperature with the
protective suit tolerance data 11 including a range of temperature.

[0016] Embedded sensors 110 are embedded in the portable device 100. The
body sensors 200 can be carried on the protective suit or attached to the
body of the user of the portable device 100 while the location of the
body sensors 200 can be arranged according to actual demands such as the
type of the body sensors 200. The body sensors 200 communicate with the
portable device 100 through a short distance wireless network 1000.

[0017] In the illustrated embodiment, the short distance wireless network
1000 is implemented according to BLUETOOTH telecommunication standard. In
other embodiments, the short distance wireless network 1000 can be
implemented according to other telecommunication standards such as near
field communication (NFC).

[0018] The alarm unit 30 transmits an alarm signal Sa to the output device
120 corresponding to the comparison between the portable sensor parameter
Pp and the protective suit tolerance data 11. In the illustrated
embodiment, when the portable sensor parameter Pp is not within the
protective suit tolerance data 11, the alarm unit 30 transmits the alarm
signal Sa to the output device 120 to enable the output device 120 to
provide a warning message M (not shown). For instance, when the portable
sensor parameter Pp is a temperature of 60 degrees centigrade while the
protective suit tolerance data 11 is a range of temperature between 0
degrees centigrade and 50 degrees centigrade, the alarm unit 30 transmits
the alarm signal Sa to the output device 120 since the temperature
exceeds the range of temperature. In the illustrated embodiment, the
output device 120 is a speaker, which provides the warning message M,
which is audio. In other embodiments, the output device 120 can be other
types of electronic devices, which are capable of providing the warning
message M visually which can attract the attention of the user of the
portable device 100. For example, the output device 120 can be augmented
reality glasses, which display an augmented reality image including the
warning message M according to the alarm signal Sa, wherein the portable
device 100 can be a helmet while the output device 120 is a face mask of
the helmet.

[0019] In the illustrated embodiment, the protective suit tolerance data
11 is inputted through the short distance wireless identifier 140. When
the short distance wireless identifier 140 receives a protective suit
parameter signal Ss, including a protective suit parameter Ps, of the
protective suit from a short distance wireless device 300, which is
installed on the protective suit, the data unit 10 transforms the
protective suit parameter Ps in the protective suit parameter signal Ss
to the protective suit tolerance data 11. For instance, when the
protective suit parameter Ps is an identifier of the protective suit, the
data unit 10 selects pre-inputted protective suit tolerance data of the
protective suit as the protective suit tolerance data 11. In addition,
when the protective suit parameter Ps is the parameter of the protective
suit such as thermal tolerance, the data unit 10 stores the parameter as
the protective suit tolerance data 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the
short distance wireless identifier 140 is a RFID (radio-frequency
identification) reader, and the short distance wireless device 300 is a
RFID tag. In addition, the protective suit tolerance data 11 can also be
input through the input device 110. The input device 110 can be a
keyboard, a touch panel, a microphone, or other types of human-machine
interface (HMI).

[0020] In the embodiment, the data unit 10 can be further capable of
storing a plurality of body tolerance data 12. The body tolerance data 12
is input through the input device 110. The body tolerance data 12 can be,
for example, a safe limit for temperature, humidity, oxygen, toxic gas,
blood pressure, pulse rate, or other values of biometric parameters, and
the portable sensor parameter Pp can further be, for example,
temperature, humidity, oxygen thickness, toxic gas thickness, blood
pressure, pulse rate, or other biometric parameters. The value of each of
the body tolerance data 12 can be defined according to the endurance of a
body. For instance, if the user of the portable device 100 can endure
temperatures between 0 degree centigrade and 35 degrees centigrade, the
range of the body tolerance data 12 can be accordingly defined between 0
degree centigrade and 35 degrees centigrade. Correspondingly, the
comparison unit 20 further compares the portable sensor parameter Pp in
the portable sensor parameter signal Sp with the body tolerance data 12
corresponding to the portable sensor parameter Pp, and then the alarm
unit 30 transmits the alarm signal Sa to the output device 120 when the
portable sensor parameter is not within the body tolerance data 12,
thereby enabling the output device 120 to provide the warning message M.

[0021] In the illustrated embodiment, the comparison unit 20 further
receives a stationary sensor parameter signal Sf including a stationary
sensor parameter Pf from a stationary sensor disposed in the emergency
scene, that is, one of the environmental sensors 400. Each of the
environmental sensors 400 can be a type of sensor, which is capable of
detecting one of the different portable sensor parameters Pp. In response
to receiving the stationary sensor parameter signal Sf, the comparison
unit 20 compares the portable sensor parameter Pp in the portable sensor
parameter signal Sp with the protective suit tolerance data 11
corresponding to the portable sensor parameter Pp as well as the
stationary sensor parameter Pf in the stationary sensor parameter signal
Sf with the protective suit tolerance data 11 corresponding to the
stationary sensor parameter Pf. The alarm unit 30 transmits the alarm
signal Sa according to the comparison between the portable sensor
parameter Pp and the protective suit tolerance data 11 corresponding to
the portable sensor parameter Pp as well as the comparison between the
stationary sensor parameter Pf and the protective suit tolerance data 11
corresponding to the stationary sensor parameter Pf. In the illustrated
embodiment, if the portable sensor parameter Pp and the stationary sensor
parameter Pf belong to a same type of parameter such as temperature, the
portable sensor parameter Pp and the stationary sensor parameter Pf
correspond to the same protective suit tolerance data 11, and the alarm
unit 30 transmits the alarm signal Sa to the output device 120 when any
of the portable sensor parameter Pp and the stationary sensor parameter
Pf is not within the protective suit tolerance data 11.

[0022] FIG. 2A/2B is a block diagram of another embodiment of an
environmental hazard warning system of the present disclosure. As shown
in FIG. 2A/2B, the environmental hazard warning system is installed in a
server 500, which communicates with a portable device 600 through a
wireless network 2000. The portable device 600 includes the input device
110, the output device 120, the embedded sensors 130, and the short
distance wireless identifier 140 as described above. The comparison unit
20 receives the portable sensor parameter signal Sp and the protective
suit parameter signal Ss through the portable device 600, while the
portable device 600 receives the stationary sensor parameter signal Sf
from the environmental sensors 400 through the server 500.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a first embodiment of an environmental
hazard warning method of the present disclosure. In the illustrated
embodiment, the environmental hazard warning method is applied to a
firefighter under the protection of a fire proximity suit. As shown in
FIG. 3, the environmental hazard warning method of the present disclosure
is as follows. Depending on the embodiment, additional steps may be
added, others removed, and the ordering of the steps may be changed.

[0024] In step S11, a short distance wireless identifier is used to
receive a protective suit parameter signal including the protective suit
parameter from a short distance wireless device. In the illustrated
embodiment, the short distance wireless identifier is a RFID reader, and
the short distance wireless device is a RFID tag.

[0025] In step S12, the protective suit parameter in the protective suit
parameter signal is transformed to protective suit tolerance data. The
protective suit tolerance data can be, for example, a safe limit for
temperature, humidity, acidic materials, base materials, electrical
voltages and/or current, hazardous radioactive materials, or other values
of the environmental parameters of an emergency scene. The protective
suit parameter can be transformed to the protective suit tolerance data
by, for instance, deriving the higher limits and/or the lower limits from
the protective suit parameters defined as ranges.

[0027] In step S14, the portable sensor parameter is compared with the
protective suit tolerance data corresponding to the portable sensor
parameter.

[0028] In step S15, an alarm signal is transmitted corresponding to the
comparison between the portable sensor parameter and the protective suit
tolerance data. In the illustrated embodiment, when the portable sensor
parameter is not within the protective suit tolerance data, the alarm
signal is transmitted to an output device to enable the output device to
provide a warning message.

[0029] In the illustrated embodiment, the steps of the environmental
hazard warning method are implemented through a portable device, while
the portable sensor communicates with the portable device through a short
distance wireless network. The warning message is provided via audio or
visual means which can attract the attention of the user of the portable
device. For instance, the portable device can display an augmented
reality image through augmented reality glasses according to the alarm
signal. In other embodiments, the environmental hazard warning system can
be implemented through a server, which communicates with a portable
device through a wireless network.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of an environmental
hazard warning method of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the
environmental hazard warning method of the present disclosure is as
follows. Depending on the embodiment, additional steps may be added,
others removed, and the ordering of the steps may be changed.

[0031] In step S21, an input device is used to input a protective suit
tolerance data.

[0032] In step S22, a portable sensor parameter signal including a
portable sensor parameter is received from a portable sensor.

[0033] In step S23, the portable sensor parameter is compared with the
protective suit tolerance data corresponding to the portable sensor
parameter.

[0034] In step S24, an alarm signal is transmitted corresponding to the
comparison between the portable sensor parameter and the protective suit
tolerance data.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a third embodiment of an environmental
hazard warning method of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, the
environmental hazard warning method of the present disclosure is as
follows. Depending on the embodiment, additional steps may be added,
others removed, and the ordering of the steps may be changed.

[0036] In step S31, a portable sensor parameter signal is received from a
portable sensor

[0037] In step S32, a portable sensor parameter is derived from the
portable sensor parameter signal.

[0038] In step S33, the type of the portable sensor parameter is
determined. If the portable sensor parameter is an environmental
parameter, step S34 is implemented; if the portable sensor parameter is a
biometric parameter, step S36 is implemented.

[0039] In step S34, the environmental parameter is compared with
protective suit tolerance data corresponding to the environmental
parameter.

[0040] In step S35, an alarm signal is transmitted corresponding to the
comparison between the environmental parameter and the protective suit
tolerance data.

[0041] In step S36, the biometric parameter is compared with body
tolerance data corresponding to the biometric parameter. The body
tolerance data is input through an input device. The body tolerance data
can be, for example, a safe limit for temperature, humidity, oxygen,
toxic gas, blood pressure, pulse rate, or other values of biometric
parameters, and the biometric parameter can be, for example, temperature,
humidity, oxygen thickness, toxic gas thickness, blood pressure, or pulse
rate. The value of the body tolerance data can be defined according to
the endurance of a body

[0042] In step S37, an alarm signal is transmitted corresponding to the
comparison between the biometric parameter and the body tolerance data.

[0043] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a fourth embodiment of an environmental
hazard warning method of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 6, the
environmental hazard warning method of the present disclosure is as
follows. Depending on the embodiment, additional steps may be added,
others removed, and the ordering of the steps may be changed.

[0044] In step S41, a portable sensor parameter signal including a
portable sensor parameter is received from a portable sensor.

[0045] In step S42, a stationary sensor parameter signal including a
stationary sensor parameter is received from a stationary sensor.

[0046] In step S43, the portable sensor parameter is compared with the
protective suit tolerance data corresponding to the portable sensor
parameter, and the stationary sensor parameter is compared with the
protective suit tolerance data corresponding to the stationary sensor
parameter.

[0047] In step S44, an alarm signal is transmitted according to the
comparison between the portable sensor parameter and the protective suit
tolerance data as well as the comparison between the stationary sensor
parameter and the protective suit tolerance data.

[0048] The environmental hazard warning system and the environmental
hazard warning method provide alarms of the threats in an emergency scene
such as high temperature, toxic gas, strong acid, strong base,
electricity leakage, or radioactive ray according to the parameter of a
protective suit. As a result, the safety of emergency personnel under the
protection of the protective suit can be ensured even under extreme
environmental conditions.

[0049] While the disclosure has been described by way of example and in
terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the disclosure
is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various
modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those
skilled in the art. Therefore, the range of the appended claims should be
accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such
modifications and similar arrangements.

Patent applications by Shih-Cheng Wang, Tu-Cheng TW

Patent applications by Yi-Wen Cai, Tu-Cheng TW

Patent applications by HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.

Patent applications in class Including personal portable device

Patent applications in all subclasses Including personal portable device